The present invention relates to a handle for a vacuum cleaner.
An upright vacuum cleaner generally comprises a cleaner head rotatably mounted to the lower end of the main body of the vacuum cleaner which houses the dust separation apparatus, which can take the form of a bag, a cyclonic separator, or any suitable separation apparatus. The cleaner head has a downwardly directed dirty air inlet through which dirty air is sucked into the dust separation apparatus. This type of vacuum cleaner is often convertible between an upright mode and a cylinder mode.
In the upright mode, the vacuum cleaner is moved over the surface to be cleaned so that the dirty air enters the dust separation apparatus via the dirty air inlet in the cleaner head whilst the main body is inclined rearwardly. The vacuum cleaner comprises an upwardly extending handle which the user can use to move the vacuum cleaner over the surface to be cleaned.
In the cylinder mode, the main body is put into an upright position and a hose or wand, which is fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner, is used to introduce dirty air to the dust separation apparatus for above-floor cleaning.
One known type of upright vacuum cleaner, for example disclosed by BP 134654, comprises a wand having a generally rigid pipe portion and a generally flexible hose portion. The hose portion is fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner and the rigid pipe portion is selectively connectable to the main body of the vacuum cleaner whilst remaining in telescoping connection with the hose portion. In the cylinder mode, the rigid pipe portion is connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner via the flexible hose. This allows the user to grip the rigid pipe portion and to maneuver it freely with respect to the main body. Tools such as a nozzle or brush are attached to the distal end of the rigid pipe portion which then forms the dirty air inlet of the vacuum cleaner for above-floor cleaning. In the upright mode, the rigid pipe portion is slid telescopically inside the hose portion and clipped to the back of the main body of the vacuum cleaner so that the rigid pipe portion extends upwardly from the main body to form a handle. The user can then grasp the handle to move the cleaner head over the surface to be cleaned.
The distal end of the rigid pipe portion is bent rearwardly towards the user to provide a more comfortable gripping portion when the vacuum cleaner is used in the upright mode. However, such an inclined gripping portion can allow blockages to occur. Also, the rearward inclination of the distal end of the rigid pipe portion makes it difficult to see whether the pipe portion is blocked and to clear any blockage when the cleaner is being used in the cylinder mode.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wand for a vacuum cleaner in which the risk of blockage is reduced and visual access to allow checking for blockages is improved.
The present invention provides a handle for a vacuum cleaner comprising a rigid pipe portion connected to a flexible hose portion, the hose portion being fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner, the pipe portion being selectively connectable to the main body of the vacuum cleaner in the manner of a handle or releasable from the main body in the manner of a wand and having a free distal end and a proximal end, the distal end forming a dirty air inlet of the vacuum cleaner, characterised in that the pipe portion is formed by a straight, hollow tube having no internal bends between the free distal end and the proximal end.
Since the rigid pipe portion is formed by a straight, hollow tube, it is possible to see down the pipe portion to check whether it is blocked. This can easily be done by detaching the rigid pipe portion from the flexible hose portion and holding the pipe portion up to the light. Since there are no internal bends in the pipe portion, light will pass through the pipe portion if it is not blocked. Furthermore, since the dirty air flows along a straight path, there is less risk of blockage.
Preferably, the handle has an upwardly extending handle portion and a gripping portion extending forwardly and downwardly from the handle portion so that, when the vacuum cleaner is in use in an upright mode, the gripping portion extends generally transverse to the forearm of the user. The handle can then be gripped by the user so that the hand, wrist and lower arm are in alignment and are not twisted as in the conventional arrangement. The vacuum cleaner can then be moved backwards and forwards over the surface to be cleaned in the normal way but this is achieved by a xe2x80x9csawingxe2x80x9d action which produces less strain on the wrist and is more comfortable for the user.
The gripping portion, preferably, extends forwardly and downwardly at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle portion so that, in use, the gripping portion is approximately horizontal which causes less twist on the wrist and hence less strain.
The rigid pipe portion of the above mentioned vacuum cleaner comprises a hollow tube into which objects can drop and possibly cause a blockage. Furthermore, improper use of the wand can cause injury and any domestic appliance is at risk of improper use, for example, by children. The exposed open end of the rigid pipe portion of the wand can be particularly dangerous.
Therefore, the present invention further seeks to overcome these disadvantages by providing a handle for a vacuum cleaner comprising a rigid pipe portion connected to a flexible hose portion, the hose portion being fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner, the pipe portion being selectively connectable to the main body of the vacuum cleaner in the manner of a handle or releasable from the main body in the manner of a wand, characterized in that a cap is provided at the distal end of the pipe portion, the cap being movable between a first position in which the end of the pipe portion is closed by the cap and a second position in which the end of the pipe portion is not closed by the cap.
The closure of the distal end of the pipe portion by the cap helps to prevent objects dropping into the pipe and to minimise the risk of injuries through improper use.
Preferably, the cap is pivotally attached to the pipe portion.
The wand may comprise a device for hanging the vacuum cleaner from a wall so that the vacuum cleaner can be easily stored away. The hanging device may be in the form of a hook and may also be integral with the cap.